The main local airport’s long streak of monthly departure records ended in October, but a new annual record remains likely.
The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport saw 25,359 departures last month, off 1% from 25,604 the previous October, airport figures show.
Before that, the airport set records 14 months in a row.
Airport officials attributed the monthly decline to United Airlines’ decision to curtail its service to Chicago.
In September, United had three flights daily Sundays through Saturdays. In October, the airline dropped a flight each weekend day, eight days in all, and the last four weekdays of October, according to online airport schedules.
The reduced flight schedule continues in November, December and January.
Airport Director Carl Beardsley Jr. said flight reductions typically occur in slower travel months with demand driving what happens.
Typically, the airport returns to three flights daily by March, Beardsley said.
Attempts to reach United officials were unsuccessful.
United faced stiffer competition for Chicago-bound local passengers all year this year. American Airlines added two more daily flights to Chicago in June 2018.
Through October, 250,396 passengers flew out of the airport, not far off the annual record of 268,197 set in 2017. That record should fall by the end of the year, despite the lost flights. More than 45,000 people flew out of the airport the last two months of last year.
“It’s been a fantastic year, no matter what,” Beardsley said.
Airport board member David Pedri joked that he’ll have to note the failure to break another monthly record in Beardsley’s personnel file.
“Obviously, it had to stop at some point,” Pedri said. “It was an absolutely amazing run. ... They’re doing some good things there.”
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